AfriGeneas Free Persons of Color Forum

Hi--
don't know if this is useful, but here's what I came across. (I'm numbering so you can decide where I go off the tracks in my speculations or math):

1. I see from a reference work that William Witherspoon was the ONLY FPOC Witherspoon in the entire 1830 census for the United States. (Carter Woodson, "Free Negro Heads of Families in the United States in 1830"). Even with variations in spelling, none others.

2. In the 1830 census, he is at least 55, with the six other FPOC in the household, not necessarily all children.

3. In the 1850 census, there is an Isaac Witherspoon in Kershaw SC. 38 years old, born 1812, SC, no occupation. He is in the white Susan Scott household, along with Eliz Grantham, 32, John Grantham, 12 (M432-854, p 79)

4. Isaac born 1812, would make him 18 in the 1830 census, so 35+ year difference between him and William.

5. Possible brothers in the 1850 census:

a. Sam Weatherspoon, Pike ALA, b. 1820 SC; would be 10 in 1830 census, so 45+ year age difference with William;

b. Calvin Wetherspson, also in Pike ALA, b. 1816 SC, age 34; 14 in 1830 census, so 40+ year difference with William.

(spellings as on ancestry)

6. Sam in 1850 is in the Henry Pennington, white, 30, household, and is a blacksmith (M432-13, page 198), only b/m on the page

7. Calvin in 1850, on a different page, looks to be married. It's Wetherspoon on the actual page). Wife Mary, 22; daughter Martha, 3; Laura, 1. Children and wife, born ALA. Calvin is blacksmith. Also in the household is Mary Devenport, 35, white, born SC. (M432-13, p. 199)

8. The few SC-connected FPOC Witherspoons even by 1850 seem to say that these people were related. The 'blacksmith,' birthplace, and residency location seem to link Sam and Calvin, and the SC birth place and general age span may link them both to Isaac. Their age cluster 1812-20 could be used to think backwards about possible father's birth span. The age differences using the 1830 census between the 'sons' and William, might suggest an intervening generation between William and these individuals, putting William in the older range of 55-100.

9. The only other Witherspoons, black/mulatto, in 1850 census are two Samuel Witherspoons, both living in District 1, Caldwell KY, but not in same households; one born 1829 KY, one born 1826, NC; and then Ann Witherspoon, Hickory MO, born 1821 TN.

I could be totally wrong, but this seems like two linked households, with great grandmother Mary, daughter in law Eliza, widowed (or husband elsewhere), with various older children, and then a younger couple, and their own children.

1880 Census:

a. Jane Weatherspoon, 65, 1815 SC, grandmother,living in Cincinnati Ohio, widowed. Father b. SC, mother b SC. In in the household of Richard Carr, 20, whitewasher VA/VA/VA (him, father, mother), and his wife is Josephine, 24, keeping house, SC/SC/SC. Children Ada, 4; Laura, 2, Richard 6 mths, all born Ohio. They are on Eggleston Ave. (Perhaps Calvin's Laura above, and this Laura are significant). (T9-1024, page 314:2000, covers 2 pages) If Josephine is daughter, then might suppose Jane married one of the Witherspoon males b. SC around her own age, Isaaac, Calvin, Samuel, particularly because Josephine says both father and mother born SC.

b. back in SC, there are 230 hits for Witherspoon, black. But I saw that Thomas Witherspoon was a huge slaveowner in SC, along with other white Witherspoon, so no doubt complicated to sort out from the original William Witherspoon line, particularly as it seems original offspring migrated.

c. in 1880, there are three William Witherspoon, all born between 1800-1819 SC/SC/SC, one living in Greenville Clark AR, and two in Beat 5, Lowndes MS.